Falling Dusk: Secrets in the Storm
by Purple Flame in the Dusk
Summary: Every cat knew making four new Clans was risky. There was bound to be dangers. Survival depended on each other. It depended on putting the differences aside. Then the Scattered came. And changed everything. Everything.
1. Prologue

**Herro there! Duskflame here with my first Warrior cat Fanfic. It's pretty random, and only short, but hey it's just something I do when I'm bored. But enjoy all the same! If I have any mistakes, tell me, I'll give you a cookie. Oh, and Review? For me? Pwease? -Ahem- Anyway, hope you like! :3**

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><p>~Prologue~<p>

The night was filled with a ghostly silence, broken only by the sound of troubled breathing. The stars had a dull shine about them but the moon still glowed brightly. It washed soft moonlight over the land, turning the river silver and the tree tops white. A gentle breeze scattered a fallen leaf across the clearing, brushing at a silver she-cats paws. Her fur was tinged with blood and her green eyes were mysterious, a lost light glowing in their depths. Flicking her tail in irritation, she glanced down at the injured cats before her. They lay silently, flanks heaving, most drifting in dreamless sleep.

"Too much blood was spilt…" She mumbled in a voice that seemed to be one with the breeze.

Turning swiftly, she bounded forward, following the scent of the moorland. She reached a rocky hill where two cats were outlined against the moon. One, a tom, had a ruffled black pelt, with blood streaked through it.

"Moonsplash," The tom greeted her, dipping his head respectfully and dropping his pale blue eyes. The scar which he had earned from the battle, caught the light, flashing silver over his right eye.

Moonsplash returned the greeting, "Stormwing," she sighed before recognizing the other cat, a small grey she-cat, "Mistshadow." Mistshadow flicked her ears in response, a troubled expression showing in her amber eyes.

"Where is Icepelt, he should be here by now." Stormwing rumbled, his voice low, turning his attention to searching the moor below them. Even now, long strands of grass swayed silently, as if the screams of many cats had never echoed around them. Silently, flash of white shot across the moorland, unsettling a bird who rocketed to the sky. Icepelt reached them, settling down and blinking slowly, apologetically. His white pelt glowed in the moonlight.

"Now we're all here…" Stormwing began, gazing from one cat to the next, "What do we do about the Clans?"

Mistshadow finally spoke, "What choice do we have? If we split up more cats will die!" A note of desperation filled her voice and she dropped her eyes to a rock by her paws.

Stormwing watched her, curling his tail over his huge grey paws, "That's not what I was thinking…" He mewed thoughtfully. Moonsplash glanced warily at him, curiosity pricking in her paws. _What was he thinking of this time? He was so hard to read…_

"Our leaders all died in the battle. They fought for the Clans with their lives but it wasn't enough. We can't just stand by and let them die for nothing," He paused, as the other nodded in agreement, "The Clans must go on. Maybe…" He trailed off, thinking.

Moonsplash immediately caught on, "We could become leaders and restart the Clans…?" She questioned, watching Mistshadow's eyes dart up sharply. Icepelt's eyes widened, silently.

"Yeah, what do you think? MoonClan, MistClan, IceClan and StormClan? We could find new territories, the forest is… Ruined." He meowed, turning his head to the direction of their old home.

Moonsplash nodded, "I would be Moonstar," She breathed.

Icepelt stood, his tail swaying side to side, "Icestar. I could get used to that." He grinned, then gazed at Mistshadow, "What do you say? Join us?"

Mistshadow hesitated, eyes darting to where her Clanmates lay, barely breathing. "I… uh… Yeah, I guess." She smiled weakly, sighing.

"Then it's decided, the Clans will start new. When the others are healed enough for travelling, we find new territory." He nodded to each of them, rising to his paws before glancing at the moon, "We gather at the next full moon."

Moonsplash watched as the smoky tom turned and padded his separate way. The others mumbled farewells and turned to leave as well. The silver she-cat sat for a while, just breathing in the scents of the forest, the moonlight turning her pelt white. Smiling slightly, she stood before racing back to her Clanmates.

Moonstar. I _could_ get used to that.

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><p><strong>So that probably wouldn't of made too much sense, but I hope you caught on to some of it. If you didn't... Basically the Clans got into a HUGE fight with each other thanks to 'Something' -Wink wink- And the leaders all got killed. So these four cats decided to remake the Clans. Make more sense, right? If it doesn't still... Go eat a tacos. Cheers. Ok, so like I said review so I know whether to keep writing it? ^^<strong>


	2. Chapter 1: Night river

**Really REALLY short chapter this time. I promise I will make the chapters longer, but at the beginning they will be short. And this is just introducing the main character :3**

**Thank you to xX Tiger Princess Xx for reviewing the last chapter! I was happy to see someone review. I was kinda like this - \(^.^)/**

**Anyway... ONWARD! xD**

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><p>In the midst of the forest, a small black she-cat stumbled beside the river. Her fur was ragged, showing her ribs, showing how hungry she was. Sighing in relief, she settled by the river, water lapping at her sore paws, cooling her hot pads. She raised one, shaking water from it and lapped at it, the cracked pad scratching her tongue. Exhaustion haunted her eyes; one purple and one blue. The forest around her was silent, as if it was holding its breath, waiting for the sun to rise. The velvet sky was studded with dull stars, each glowing in its own mysterious way. Silently, the she-cat slipped into the water, letting it lap over her muzzle, the dark depths pulling her in. She closed her eyes, wondering quietly who would miss her if she carried on.<p>

The image of a dark grey tom, not much older than her, with ragged scars lining his flank came to mind. She kicked out immediately. _What am I doing? I have a promise to fulfil! _She gasped as she rose to the surface, the cold air burning her throat. Her hind legs paddled furiously but the water dragged her under again, turning her vision black.

She was going to drown.

Her drenched fur weighed her down, pulling her further into the water and she stopped struggling, too tired to even try. She twisted to her back, muscles screaming to stop moving, and gazed at the surface. Shimmering moonlight danced, weaving through the waves gracefully. Then her vision blurred, sending her into the cold, darkness of her mind.

She only half-realised something grab her scruff, teeth latched into her matted fur, dragging her through the murky water. She hardly heard, frantic voices screaming at her to breathe, to not give up trying. Slowly blinking open her eyes, she saw her rescuer, standing before her calmly, his white pelt dripping with water. His right eye stared into space, his left eye watching her sadly, curiosity flooding them. She took a ragged breath, throat raw and stinging. Far off voices called out that she was alive and the ground rumbled with paw steps. She closed her eyes, body unresponsive and aching all over. Teeth grabbed her scruff, pulling her up and onto the back of another cat, one that smelt of warmth and rain. She felt him move beneath her, muscles stretching out into a run. She drifted into sleep, her mind calming as cool air blew rhythms through her fur.

"A loner…?" A voice mumbled softly, once they had stopped and she had been lowered onto what felt like moss. A cold, wet nose prodded through her fur, reeling back from her wounds a few times before carrying on. Sighing to herself, the she-cat lay still, finally dropping into an exhausted sleep. Around her cats shuffled their voices one with the soft breeze.

_It was good to be alive._

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><p><strong>There thee go, you can haz chapter. Update soon, perhaps today. Perhaps tomorrow. Anyway, review if you have time in your busy life and any tips to improving my writing style? That would be cool beans. Or neat legumes. Righty, REVIEW!<strong>


	3. Chapter 2: StormClan

**Back again~**

**Sorry, I had SO much homework, it's impossible to imagine xD Anyway, here's the next chapter, so I hope you enjoy. It's a bit longer too, so grab the popcorn and the pepsi and your fit to read... Or not. Just suggesting :3**

**Also if you have a cat you want to add to the story at some point, write it in the review or PM me and I'll do just that. Remember to include the Clan, description, age, personality (if you want?) and family? Would be cool beans~**

**Well, on with the story...**

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><p>Dusk blinked open her eyes to sunlight streaming onto her thick black pelt. She began stretching, and then stopped wincing at the pain that shot through her limbs. She glanced at her pelt which was plastered with thick cobwebs and smelt of herbs. Frowning, she got to her paws. And immediately fell again. She hissed in irritation, trying again only to fall once more.<p>

"You really can't sit still can you? I mean, unless I get those cobwebs off, you aren't gonna be standing anytime soon." A voice mewed from the far end of the den she was in. A long-legged silver tom appeared, grinning as he watched her, electric blue eyes brimming with amusement. Dusk whipped around, crouching with teeth bared. She sighed, straightening up as she realised it was Rainpool, the medicine cat. The first time she had woken up, she had met the tom and tried attacking him. Luckily, he had shoved her off before she could do serious damage.

"Chill. It always has to be greeting me with a warning, huh?" He grinned, shaking a stray piece of horsetail from his pelt. He padded forward, nudging her to sit back down and dragging a cobweb from her fur.

"Sorry. Not used to being around other cats yet," She sighed, flicking her tail slightly as Rainpool yanked another cobweb off, letting it drift to the moss. He grabbed the last bunch, standing back to admire his handiwork.

"Now, you can go out. But stay in the clearing or I'll rip your fur off." He paused, looking thoughtful, "Actually I'll get Frostpaw to rip your fur off." Grinning again, he flicked an ear at the gorse tunnel, leading away from the den and padded back to the dark storage area.

Dusk flashed him a look of mock horror. Frostpaw, she had learnt, was the pure white tom who had saved her life. He was snappy, hot-headed and didn't seem to talk much. Dusk wondered why he had saved her but knew better than to ask unless he shoved her in the river…

As she reached the clearing, cool air washed over her pelt, making her shiver. Breathing in deeply, Dusk realised how much she missed the outside world, compared to the stuffy medicine den she had been stuck in for the past 3 days. The harsh sunlight blinded her, making her blink until her eyes adjusted. The clearing was full of cats. And they were all staring at her. She took an uncertain step forward, wobbling slightly as her stiff legs gave way. A pelt brushed hers; helping her straighten up, back onto all four paws.

"You've got the strength, just not the balance," A voice whispered into her ear, tickling her neck fur. She twisted, eyes wide, to glare at an amazing golden tabby tom. As the morning light caught his fur, it seemed to go up in flames, turning a fiery red. His green eyes flashed with amusement before fading into a gorgeous emerald colour. Dusk blinked, barely stopping herself from gaping.

"I'm Crashpaw, You must be Dusk. Frostpaw, my brother, told me about you. I'm surprised you didn't die after all the wounds you had…" The fiery tom mused, gazing from one eye to the other, his golden tail swaying as he stood.

Dusk's eyes had always surprised cats. She had one dusky purple eye, which seemed to glow in the dark whenever the moon was at its fullest. The other was a vibrant blue, with tiny white specks in it which looked like foaming waves on the river. Her purple eye was the origin of her name.

"Yeah, I'm Dusk," She smiled, quickly gazing around the clearing, "What is this place?"

"This is StormClan camp, where we all live. That," He nodded at toward the top of a hill, where a large rock with a fern covering dominated the top, "Is where Stormstar, leader of our Clan sleeps. You'll probably meet him later."

Dusk nodded, narrowing her eyes at the hill. She could see no movement and wondered whether the leader was out hunting. She glanced back at Crashpaw, who was staring at her, eyes clouded in thought.

"Are you joining StormClan? You'd be great! I mean if you survived what you did… Then StormClan would be stronger!" He purred; hope springing into his emerald eyes as he flicked his tail tip in excitement.

Dusk hesitated, shuffling her paws. She hadn't ever thought of joining a Clan. She'd never even thought of travelling with other cats. She dragged her eyes back to the clearing where Clan cats wandered, doing various jobs. A pretty white she-cat was grooming a sleek black tom, whose eyes seemed to hold blazing fire in them. On the other side of the clearing, by a den made of ferns woven together, two toms sat, tussling with each other in the dust. A smaller she-cat sat watching; purring in amusement, tail flicking happily. They all seemed so happy, so content with being with each other. A purr caught in her throat and she brought her gaze back to Crashpaw who was watching her, eyes soft, smiling silently.

"If I could… I would join. But your leader might not want me in his Clan. I'm a loner after all…" She finally meowed, searching Crashpaw's expression for anger at the mention of her being a loner. Instead he let out a laugh.

"When you looked around the clearing," Crashpaw started, carelessly flicking his tail toward the centre of the clearing, "There weren't many cats, right? That's because our Clan is new. After the four original Clans split up, some of the Clan cats couldn't survive as a loner after being in a Clan for so long. So Stormstar along with the other leaders started the new Clans, StormClan, MoonClan, MistClan and IceClan. So basically, we're all loners anyway. And to survive we need more cats, Dusk. You wouldn't only be helping yourself."

Dusk double blinked at him. He had seemed a pretty careless cat, from what she could tell, but now she saw there was a deeper, more meaningful part of him. She nodded slowly, considering what he had said.

"If your leader will have me, then… Yeah, I would join." She smiled slightly, nodding once at her decision. It hadn't taken much thought, seeing as she had nowhere else to go now and they had helped her, so they had to be friendly. _Who knows what could happen? _She thought, mind carelessly wandering.

"Neat!" Crashpaw gave a short purr, dipping his head slightly before trotting off toward the leader's hilltop den, a spring in his step. Dusk stood up again, watching him go with curious eyes. She purred, thinking about finally settling down, finally being able to relax, even for a bit. Her eyes settled on the sky. The clouds that had haunted it the night she had almost drowned, were gone, leaving only a perfect, clear blue. A wispy white cloud drifted lazily, flowing with the breeze. She wondered what she would be doing if she hadn't almost drowned. And what she'd be doing if there wasn't a Clan living by the river. Dusk shuddered at the thought. She remembered how she had just given up; let her life go without a fight, without thinking of the consequences.

"Dusk!" A mew from the medicine den interrupted her thoughts. Dusk glanced over as Rainpool's silver head pushed through the fern leaves and looked over at her. He nodded at her, beckoning her with his tail as he turned to pad back in. Sighing slightly, she wandered over, reluctant to leave the sunshine which warmed her fur.

As she padded over, the breeze scattered a leaf to her paws, brushing against her pelt and drifting on, wherever the wind took it. _So much like me… _Dusk thought, watching it tumble away carelessly, _And I'm finally free from living like that…_

Dusk smiled, her heart singing inside her.

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><p><strong>Hope you enjoyed, It may be EXTREMELY boring at the moment, but I only just got into the whole writing-awesome-stories-about-cats-that-live-in-a-clan thingy. So yesh. Please review and make my day? :3<strong>


	4. Chapter 3: Duskpaw

**Next chappie! It's still a bit boring but better than the last one and longer as well. Anyway, I got some reviews last time! -Crowd cheers wildly- So I was really happy about that, thank you anyone who reviewed! I really do appreciate it, it makes my day.**

**Review answers:**

**Sierra-nevada12 - Thank you, it means a lot to me :3 I will keep updating as long as I get reviews! -Hint hint- And also thanks for the tip, I have now enabled anon. reviews so fingers crossed I get some more! ^^**

**Redwolf11 - YAY~! Wolfie! Your story was amazing, can't wait until the next chapter so get it up, kay? xD Also thanks for submitting Redpaw, she will become Frostpaw and Crashpaw's sister~! One thing you forgot though... The description! Add that for me and she is so in! Her personality cracked me up x3 Here is your update, hope you enjoy! :D**

**Rainstar of ShasowClan - Hello! Thank you so much for reviewing too! I agree with what you say, I should of explained it more in the story instead of a A/N. Your suggestion was great and I intend to use it, I'm planning on getting Stormstar to tell Dusk the story~! With the grammar issues, you are so right, I fail when it comes to commas... xD Thanks for the help once again!**

**On with the story anyhoo...**

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><p>The last rays of sunlight streamed over into the clearing, creating long shadows of the trees as they danced lazily in the wind. The sky was painted red, with the odd pink cloud dotted throughout. A soft breeze whipped around the clearing, cool but refreshing all the same.<p>

Dusk raised her head to the wind, letting it ruffle her messy black fur. She closed her eyes, enjoying the feel of it before it faded away into nothing. Beside her, Crashpaw yawned loudly, shuffling into a different position to stare at the sky.

"It looks great! I think this is the best time of day, not too warm and not too cold. What do you think Dusk?" He meowed, flicking a golden paw to the sky and glancing at her side-on. Dusk nodded, opening her eyes and looking to the sky as a streak of purple appeared, adding to the beauty.

"Yeah, I think so too. The sky has to be the best part of it though, it's just fun to watch the colours change and then disappear into blackness…" Dusk stared at it for another heartbeat and then tore her eyes away to look around the clearing. The ground was washed pink from the setting sun apart from the dens which were in shade. It _did_ look beautiful.

A couple of cats were sitting, sharing a squirrel by an oddly shaped rock. It rose out of the ground, slanting on one side and it was a shadowy white colour. Crashpaw had told her it was called snow rock. Dusk didn't have to be told why, it was pretty obvious. There was a scuffle from the hilltop where Stormstar lived and he appeared, grey pelt ruffled and shining it the sun's last rays. Dusk had met him earlier when Crashpaw had introduced her.

_Dusk padded out of the medicine den, pelt covered in a sticky poultice that Rainpool had gave her. She wrinkled her nose in disgust for the 10__th__ time as Crashpaw bounded over to her, followed by a large black tom. He walked with pride, with respect and Dusk knew that just by glancing at him. _

"_Hey, Dusk!" Crashpaw cried, skidding to a halt in front of her and grinning, "This is Stormstar, leader of StormClan. He said he wanted to meet you before deciding if you were worthy to join." _

_The black tom reached them, sitting and curling his tail around his paws. For a heartbeat he said nothing, just watching her with stormy blue eyes. They reflected courage, hope and a pain Dusk didn't understand. She shuffled her paws, looking back awkwardly. Then he spoke._

"_So you are Dusk." His voice was like the earth rumbling beneath her paws, like the thunder crashing overhead, like nothing she had ever heard before, "The one who wishes to join my Clan... I will trust you for now but promise me something. Promise me this will not be a mistake. Promise me you will prove that I was right to welcome you into my Clan."_

_Dusk nodded again, not breaking her gaze from the StormClan leader. His eyes clouded, then he blinked and it was gone, leaving Dusk wondering if she had really seen that moment of hesitation. With a swish of his smoky black tail, he turned away, dipping his head to the both of them and padding back to his den. Crashpaw watched him go, and then turned to Dusk, purring in happiness. _

"_I guess this is welcome to the Clan."_

Dusk blinked, shaking her head lightly. It took her a while to realise she had been daydreaming about earlier. She glanced back up at Stormstar who was mewing to a pretty white she-cat. She was nodding slowly in response to what the leader was saying. Then they both turned away, the she-cat leaping down the hill and disappearing into a den. Crashpaw had called it the Warrior den, she recalled.

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath Rockledge for a Clan meeting," Stormstar called out, letting it echo around the clearing, breaking the silence from before. Gracefully, cats padded into the clearing, taking their place below Rockledge and looking up at their leader. Crashpaw stood beside her, flicking her with his tail.

"Come on! This is your apprentice ceremony!" He mewed, waving his tail excitedly and bounding off to join the rest of the Clan. Dusk followed, slower, wondering how he had so much energy. She sat beside him, tilting her head up to look at the grey tom above them. He sat with pride as he glanced over his Clan, sitting tall and respectful.

"Dusk, step forward." He called out over the cats, their pelts like a sea of greys, blacks, whites and tortoiseshell. Dusk managed a quick look at Crashpaw before stepping forward, feeling the Clan cat's eyes fall on her.

"Three sunrises ago, a patrol found a loner by the MistClan border. Being injured, we took her in and she has decided to join StormClan, which I have agreed to." The black tom stopped, waiting for the protests of a few cats to die down. A grey and white tom stepped forward, ears flattened, glaring at the leader.

"We cannot accept any more loners! They only make this Clan weak, something the other Clans have noticed…" The tom rumbled darkly, lashing his tail once as he stated his protest. Stormstar looked on calmly, silent as he listened.

"What if this cat cannot be trusted, who knows what this _loner_ could be planning?" He spat out the word loner with such hatred, it made Dusk shiver. The fur along her neck bristled, her tail quivering with anger. She glared at the Warrior, eyes furious slits. Stormstar glanced at her, stormy eyes calm but she could see a warning in their depths. Whatever the Warrior who had spoken had against loners he wasn't going to drop fast.

"You have reason to dislike loners, Stonestep but I feel it's worth giving her a chance." Stormstar mewed coolly, his gaze fixed on Dusk but his words directed Stonestep. With a reluctant hiss, the grey and white tom stepped back, settling beside a brown she-cat, his eyes narrowed. Dusk continued glaring at him, the black fur along her back slowly falling. She gave a short, low growl of irritation before turning her attention back to the leader.

"Dusk, do promise to be loyal to StormClan for the rest of your moons?" The black tom asked, tail waving behind him as he looked down at her. She nodded, meeting his gaze unwavering.

"I do. You're giving me a second chance after all." In her mind, the image of the small grey tom with the ragged scars flashed again and she purred quietly, knowing he would have loved this.

"Then from now on, you shall be known as Duskpaw of StormClan. Prove to us what you're worth and you shall live here for many moons." He dipped his head, although Duskpaw saw him smile slightly, knowingly.

"Ravenblaze." The sleek black tom she had seen earlier stepped forward, raising his head high, "You will not judge this apprentice for her past. Show her the loyalty and bravery you learnt from Shadeflare, and teach her the skills to become a strong Warrior of StormClan."

The Warrior nodded in response, stepping forward to stand in front of Duskpaw. He lowered his head and she reached up to touch noses with him. His eyes were warm, blazing blue fire that sent shivers down her back. There was silence and then Crashpaw's confident voice rang through the clearing.

"Duskpaw! Duskpaw!" The golden apprentice called, head raised to the sky as others joined in, their calls echoing around her. She smiled, turning to look at Crashpaw who nodded at her, tail waving rapidly. The cats began to turn their separate ways, some gathering in groups to share prey, some heading into the dens. Ravenblaze followed her gaze to the grey and white tom from before.

"Don't mind him; He's been like that since his mate was killed by loners… That's the only reason he doesn't trust you. Maybe you could convince him not all loners are bad." Her mentor flicked his tail dismissively, watching the other Warrior disappear into a den. He turned his attention back to Duskpaw, who was nodding slowly.

"You should get some sleep, you look exhausted. Then again, you've been through a lot lately. Be up just after sunrise though, I'll take you hunting if you like?" His eyes blazed warmly as he watched the young apprentice jump up, whiskers twitching excitedly.

"I'd love that! I haven't been hunting in…. Forever!" Her response was half purred making it hard to understand but the young Warrior gave a_ mrroww_ of laughter.

"Crashpaw will show you the apprentice den, be up if your that eager!" He called, already trotting to his own den, gazing over his shoulder one last time. Crashpaw came trotting over, flicked her with his tail and wandered toward a den of brambles, covered thickly by fern leaves. He squeezed in a gap, barely big enough to get through, leading her into darkness. Her eyes adjusted slowly, allowing her time to take in the scents around her. Just by breathing in, she could smell a she-cat over the far side of the den. Her breathing was slow, relaxed, so Duskpaw knew she was already asleep. She padded half-blind toward Crashpaw, feeling with her paws before she put her weight onto them. She felt a tail brush her flank, guiding her forward into a lighter corner.

"Sleep here, there's plenty of room and you won't get woken up by Blackpaw kicking out in his sleep." Crashpaw whispered into the dark, his shadowy silhouette signalling to a patch of soft moss layered over the ground. He settled further back, green eyes glowing mysteriously at her. She padded forward, claws dragging the moss into place to make a nest. She lay down, her dropping to her paws in relief. Crashpaw mumbled good night and curled up, tail brushing over his nose in a fluid sweep. Duskpaw breathed in the cool scent of the night before following suit, curling into a tight ball. Sleep overcame her almost immediately, soft and gentle like the breeze that ruffled her fur as she dreamed.

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><p><strong>So... What did you think? If there is any mistakes, please do tell me and I'll correct them! Now, if you have the time... REVIEW! :D<strong>


	5. Chapter 4: The denmates?

**Can anyone say filler chapter? I CAN! Yup, this here is a filler chapter. I needed it for reasons that will make sense if you read it and perhaps in the next chapter. My mind kept going blank, so I really do apologize for the terribleness of it. I'm also in a groggy mood... D:**

**Well, here is the review answers!**

**Redwolf11 - ~Grins~ How did you know that her nae would be Duskeye? xD I'm debating whether to call her my profile name of make it a surprise and change it to something else? I'll decide sooner to her Warrior ceremony. Then again, I'm terrible at deciding things Dx Thanks for the review as well, it made me smile which is something I haven't done much today. Thanks for giving me Redpaw's details! I added her to the story :D Have a great day!**

**Sierra-nevada12 - Thank chu! Stonestep may become a bad dude... Or he may eat cake and liven up! I mean seriously, don't judge Stonestep. Don't judge. My descriptiveness chu say? Is descriptiveness a word? Because if it is, it's my new favourite word :3 Thank you for the kind compliment, but I'm sure your stories are just AMAZING! It's gonna be a definite read once I get time! **

**Nonameknight - Thanks mate! Mean a lot! Also I names him Crashpaw because my old cat was called Crash. Well, he was young actually. But anyway, he got hit by a car a year ago. He looked a lot like Crashpaw in this story and his personality is how I imagined my Crash. He was a really lively cat! xD Anyway, I created Crashpaw in his honor. Now you all know!**

**Continuing****...**

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><p>"Keep your tail still," Ravenblaze mumbled, watching as Duskpaw stalked forward, eyes locked on an unsuspecting mouse. She immediately dropped her tail, letting it slither behind her motionlessly. A soft breeze ruffled her pelt and she paused, dead still, waiting for it to pass. Out of the corner of her eye, hidden under some ferns, she saw her mentor nod. Holding her breath she crept forward again, silently. The mouse she was stalking had its back to her, totally oblivious to her. Her eyes focused on the mouse, she didn't notice the stick until it as too late. A loud snap sounded from beneath her paw and she hissed as the mouse raised its head, ducking for the nearest cover.<p>

"You almost had it!" Ravenblaze mewed, stalking out of the undergrowth and flicking the dirt from his pelt. He glanced down at the stick she had stepped on, glaring at it for a second before pouncing. He tossed it into the air, standing on his hind legs to catch it before flinging it away.

"Mouse-brained stick…" He hissed, although his eyes were warm with laughter. Duskpaw grinned, waving her tail happily at her mentor's antics. He was more apprentice than mentor, which made him so much fun to be with. With a quick wave of his tail, he bounced away, beckoning Duskpaw after him. She followed, mouth open to scent more prey she could hunt. A faint smell of vole hit her scent glands, tempting her closer. Ravenblaze skidded silently in front of her, nodding encouragingly and slinking out of view.

Duskpaw locked her eyes on a bramble bush. It rustled slightly as the creature shuffled about, once again unaware of its fate. She crept forward, paws pulling her noiselessly over the forest floor. This time she got it perfect. She pounced, claws unsheathed, striking down on the vole. It squeaked in surprise and she dug her claws into it. Its body went limp in her paws.

"Good work! Your hunting crouch was almost perfect as well, although you seem to favour your left side," Her mentor purred, stepping from the shadows to nudge her approvingly. His eyes glowed warmly, full of pride. Duskpaw purred back, dropping her catch by her paws.

"Thanks Ravenblaze!" She mewed, grinning, her tail swishing in circles. The black tom nodded, narrowing his eyes at the prey they had caught. Over than Duskpaw's vole, there was a plump rabbit, a sparrow and a couple of mice. It had been a great day for hunting.

"Come on then, this should be plenty," Ravenblaze paused, glancing at the sky which was now darker, spotted with thick grey clouds, "And it looks like it will rain soon."

Grabbing his prey, he bounded away, leaving Duskpaw to follow him with her vole hanging limply from her jaws. The wind picked up as they ran, tossing leaves around them carelessly. She shivered slightly as a breeze blew her fur the wrong way. The territory where the StormClan cats lived - according to Crashpaw – often had storms. They sometimes lasted for days, turning the ground to mush and making hunting difficult. To any other Clan, prey would be hard to come by but for the cats of StormClan this was perfect. Their pelts deflected rain and their senses were trained to hunt in the worst weather. Even the camp was protected from flooding. It was impressive to say the least.

Ravenblaze glanced over his shoulder and Duskpaw picked up speed to run next to him. His fur was slicked back in the wind; the look in his eyes was one of pure happiness to be running in this weather. She smiled slightly to herself. The camp came into view; a huge empty clearing, surrounded by ferns and oak trees. It was quite open, although the dens were well hidden, blending into the surrounding foliage. She padded in, following her mentor's long black tail. He dropped his prey on the pile before turning to Duskpaw.

"Good work, Duskpaw. You have the day free until dusk patrol with Foxfoot and Blackpaw." With that her mentor dipped his head, bounding away swiftly to a grey she-cat. Duskpaw watched him silently, as they greeted each other. Then a fluffy golden blur slammed into her, knocking the air out of her. She jumped up, eyes narrowed, burning at the cat before her. Crashpaw.

"You still haven't got the balance!" The tomcat purred, smoothing his ruffled pelt with a quick lick. His eyes danced with amusement which annoyed Duskpaw more.

"That doesn't mean you go around slamming into me!" She hissed, trying to hide her embarrassment. He was right, perfectly right, she did have poor balance. Crashpaw just laughed, fixing her with a warm gaze.

"I'll remember that. Or at least try. Maybe." His tail twitched as Duskpaw gave him a death glare.

"Okay… I'll _try_ to remember! Anyway, I wanted to introduce you to our denmates. This is Redpaw, my sister," He paused, beckoning a small ginger she-cat forward. Her blue eyes were genuinely curious, highlighted by white rims and dazzling in the sunlight. Just like her brother, her pelt was shiny and healthy, set aflame by the sun. Duskpaw felt envy bubble inside her but pushed it down, inwardly sighing.

"And this is Ripplepaw," Crashpaw continued, signalling with his tail to a fluffy pale cream she-cat. She shrunk behind Redpaw, eyes wide in what could almost be fear. Duskpaw flashed a grin at her denmate, seeing her visibly relax and smile shyly back. _What does she think I'm gonna do? Eat her? _Duskpaw wondered, holding back a purr at the thought.

"Hey, nice to meet you," She mewed, letting her tail swish freely behind her as she gazed from the red she-cat to the cream. Ripplepaw nodded, slowly stepping from behind the others.

"You too! Crashpaw's told me so much about you," Redpaw nudged her brother, running her tail down his pelt which was bristling with what Duskpaw guessed to be embarrassment. She laughed lightly.

"I hope it's all good then!" She purred genuinely and then glanced at the cream she-cat who hadn't spoken, "I don't bite."

"Much…" Crashpaw added, dodging a blow from the black she-cat's paw as she swiped at him. Redpaw brushed her flank against Ripplepaw's giving her a comforting look.

"Ripplepaw doesn't talk much, especially around new people." The ginger she-cat mewed, eyes turning back to Duskpaw. She nodded, taking a mental note so she could remember for the future. There was a call from the other side of the clearing and Redpaw glanced over.

"Oh… I have to go. Lightheart is calling me for border patrol. I'll see you guys later, don't have too much fun!" With a swish of her long, crimson tail she bounced away, shooting a meaningful glace at Crashpaw who bristled slightly again.

"Anyone hungry? I'm starving!" Duskpaw asked, already padding over to the fresh-kill pile. Ripplepaw bounded up, falling into step beside Duskpaw with a nod. They reached the pile of prey, searching through it with scent only. Ripplepaw took a sparrow, taking a fresh one from the top, while Duskpaw sniffed out a thrush; her favourite prey. All the while she felt eyes watching her and shivered inwardly. Whoever it was really seemed to be staring at her. Turning, almost cautiously, ears swivelling, she trotted over to join Ripplepaw by the apprentice den.

She smiled as she sat beside her new friend, tearing into the thrush. She realised how hungry she was, wondering when she had last ate. She hadn't eaten that morning; she had been on dawn patrol. Now that she thought of it, she hadn't eaten the night before either, she was too busy being excited at becoming an apprentice. It must have been at least a sunrise ago she had actually eaten. No wonder she was starving.

The sweet taste of the thrush filled her mouth and she swiped her tongue around her jaws. The clearing was becoming busy again, cats coming back from patrols or hunting. Crashpaw was talking to his brother, Frostpaw, who as usual was scowling, shaking his head at whatever his brother had said. Crashpaw on the other hand was just rolling his emerald eyes, sighing loudly as he padded away. From where Duskpaw was sitting she could tell he was irritated and slightly angry. Frowning slightly, she looked back at Frostpaw who slunk into the medicine den again, his tail lashing once. _What's up with them? Well, Crashpaw anyway. Frostpaw seems to be in a bad mood a lot._

There was a scuffle by the entrance to the clearing and a long-haired black tom padded in, followed shortly by a larger red tom. The smaller of the two, the solid black apprentice, came to a halt, sniffing the air. He narrowed his eyes momentarily, glare straight over at Duskpaw. She stared right back, her eyes sparking in slight annoyance at the tom's glare. With a twitch of his tail tip, the tom looked away, padding over to the fresh kill pile to drop his catch. Ripplepaw was watching the scene, turning to Duskpaw with a soft look in her eyes. Without even speaking, somehow Duskpaw knew what she was trying to say. _You have to prove yourself loyal to be welcomed in the Clan. That's just the way it is._

Duskpaw nodded, sighing to herself. Prove herself. But how?

With an almost graceful silence, Ripplepaw stood up beside her. As if reading her mind, the cream apprentice shrugged, swishing her tail. Duskpaw gulped down the rest of her thrush, shaking dust from her sleek black pelt as she got to her paws. She swiped her tongue over her shoulder, smoothing down the bit of fur that never stayed in place. There was still a long pink gash traced along her shoulder, one that would never heal. Rain began to fall, slowly at first, silvery drops landing on her fur making it glisten. Ripplepaw raised her head to the sky beside her, closing her eyes to enjoy it. The sky was a mottled grey, lighter in some places and near to black in others. The clearing had grown dark without Duskpaw realising, the clouds forming a thick curtain over the sun. It was peaceful. Even the bird song had quietened with the arrival of the rain and only the slight paw steps of the Clan cats could be heard. Then there was the rain. The soft drip, drip, drip as it rolled down the fern leaves, splashing neatly on the ground.

Flattening her ears as a drop drizzled its way into her soft ear fur, she located Crashpaw. With a glance at Ripplepaw she padded toward him, the long-haired she-cat in tow. They settled either side of the tom, sharing their warmth as a cold New-leaf breeze swept around the clearing.

From anyone else's point of view, they would have been a mess of cream, black and gold, pelts shimmering with raindrops. From their point of view, they were friends. No doubt about it.

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><p><strong>I loved writing the ending to this! It was surprisingly fun, so I hoped you liked reading! There shall be action in the next chapter! Or so I hope... xD<strong>

**I have a load of homework though, all due on Friday... Or Monday at latest, so I won't get the next chapter done until I've finished what homework I have (4 assignments and I have to read this REALLY boring book... Kill me now?) Until then, don't die. Oh and click that little reviw button? Even just to write 'HI!' so I know someone is reading? YAY~! :D**


	6. Chapter 5: Waiting in the rain

**I'm back~! I finished my homework and the amazingly boring book but then I had no inspiration at _all_. I kept putting off writing this, seeing as nothing interesting really happens apart from character building and rain. Mmmm, I love the rain. Best weather in my opinion and easy to write about. I've written most of the pointless things after this chapter so things should heat up more. Although I haven't really planned it out... I should I guess... But I'm not a planny person. At all. I only got one review last time so that effected how much I could be bothered writing this as well. Reviewing really helps! :3**

**Nonameknight - Thank you for being my only reviewer! -Gives cookie and hug- It's been a while since Crash passed away so it doesn't bother me as much and anyway, he lives on in this story! :D I was planning on making that be where his name comes from, seeing as he was really clumsy when he was a little kitten. And Crash was EXTREMELY friendly. So much it was almost creepy. And he purred non-stop... which got annoying Dx Anyway, hope you like this chapter?**

**To the story...**

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><p>The sun was finally setting, turning the land before it darker and tinged with gold. Threatening clouds hung over head and Duskpaw willed the rain to stay where it was. Her fur was still damp from the downpour earlier, shining with faint raindrops. Blackpaw padded beside her, giving her side-long glares. His tail twitched every time she glanced at him and he would quickly look away. Foxfoot was ahead of them, completely oblivious to the awkwardness between the two apprentices. A breeze rustled Duskpaw's fur and she closed her eyes to take it in. When she opened them, the black apprentice was glaring at her again.<p>

"What is it!" Duskpaw rounded on him, lashing her tail and giving an exaggerated sigh. He just carried on glaring, eyes dark as he narrowed them and padded forward, keeping at a brisk pace and completely ignoring her. Foxfoot glanced behind him, rolling his eyes at his apprentice slightly.

"Nothing." Blackpaw mumbled, avoiding her eyes totally, keeping them on the path ahead. Duskpaw let out a snort then leaped in front of him, eyes locking on his.

"If it was nothing, you wouldn't keep glaring at me! Do you have a problem with me?" She kept her voice low, eyes flashing with deep fury. All day the black tom had been shooting her death glares. And all day she had wondered why, seeing as she hadn't even met him until a little whole ago.

"Yes, I have a problem! You're a loner, a rogue! You don't belong in the Clan; you belong alone like you always should have been! Who knows what you're planning to do to this Clan!" Blackpaw's voice was raised more than Duskpaw had expected. She blinked, stepping back slightly before returning the death glare full force. By now Foxfoot had stopped, watching with a calm expression, seemingly wondering what she would do next. Duskpaw shook her head, forcing herself to meet the shaggy, black tom's eyes.

"I _was_ a loner." She paused as memories flooded back, "That's the past, if you hadn't noticed. If I've learnt anything from which I am, it's that the past is over so it doesn't matter. But you even thinking that I would hurt this Clan is wrong! You would not believe how wrong! I would gladly die before I ever laid a paw on any of my Clanmates!"

Duskpaw didn't wait to watch his expression or hear his response. She turned swiftly, brushing past Foxfoot, who had a vaguely amused look on his face and carrying on the patrol. By now the sun was almost gone, only a faint gold streak remained on the horizon. The wind had also picked up, the clouds above growing darker. Tonight there would be rain. Behind her paw steps echoed off the damp ground. Foxfoot fell into step with her, the faintest smile etched on his face.

"I've never seen someone shut Blackpaw up so fast. I hope you stick around." His smile widened as he met her eyes, and she shrugged.

"Yeah?" Her eyes dropped back to the path but she knew Foxfoot was watching her still. Cold wind blew her fur back and shivering she met his gaze again, 'Is that a good thing?'

The ginger tom chuckled, his green eyes lighting up as he did, "Yes, that's a good thing! I can hardly ever get him to be quiet; he's either asking questions or rambling on about pointless things. Sometimes he runs out of things to say so he tells me the she-cat he's interested in this week." HE sighed, rolling his eyes slightly.

Duskpaw purred her amusement, quickly glancing back at her denmates. He was trudging behind them, kicking at a stick in front of him and scowling. He obviously wasn't happy with her comeback.

"Then I'm sure it wouldn't be too much hassle to do it again," She smiled, as they came to a stop at the border to MistClan territory. All Duskpaw could see over the border was thick, choking mist. It shimmered in the setting sun, turning it golden and tempting. She longed to leap into it, feeling as free as she had been once. Then he mind snapped back to her new life, living in StormClan and she knew that this was better than any of that. Foxfoot and Blackpaw marked the border while she took in the sights, ears pricked for any signs of life from the MistClan warriors. All there was was silence, strangely eerie and she shivered slightly. Foxfoot padded over to her, following her gaze and staring into the thick mist cover.

"I dunno how the MistClan cats can put up with that… I don't think I could stand not being able to see my own paws in front of my eyes. It would just be creepy." He shrugged, switching his green gaze on her and she glanced back at him, moving her eyes from the other Clans territory. Or at least the mist which covered it. "You'll meet the MistClan cats at the gathering if Stormstar lets you go. Anyway, we better get back to camp, it's gonna get dark soon. And Blackpaw will start complaining."

Duskpaw nodded, turning back the way she had come and meeting eyes with Blackpaw who had been watching her. His eyes immediately dropped and he kicked a stone by his paw idly. Foxfoot trotted past him, their fur almost brushing and she followed more slowly, eyeing him curiously as she did. He seemed not to notice. Or he pretended not to notice. By now, the sky was dark. There was no more golden highlight on the horizon and the clouds were a deep grey, ready to drench them. Frowning, Foxfoot looked up as he picked up speed, noticing the darkened clouds. He tail whipped out behind him as he broke into a run, heading for camp. Duskpaw also sped up, keeping closely behind him, not wanting to get rained on. She could hear Blackpaw's paw steps lazily trot behind her and she shrugged, wondering if he would rick getting wet instead of coming closer to her. She hadn't been too harsh, right? So why was he acting like this? Anyone would think she had threatened him with her claws to his throat. Eventually they reached camp, just as soft raindrops fell, slowly at first, then picking up speed. Already cats had disappeared into the dens, despite being StormClan cats; they seemed not to want to go out in the rain unless they had to. Foxfoot flicked his tail in farewell, before bounding over to the Warrior den. His mate, Swiftcloud, was waiting for him, head dusked from the rain. She purred when she spotted him, getting to her paws and trotting toward the red tom who was purring in response. They were so sweet together.

Duskpaw smiled to herself, turning around to pad over to the Apprentice den. Blackpaw was already gone; he had disappeared like the wind, soundless and leaving a chill in Duskpaw's fur. She suppressed a shiver, blinking against the rain. She started off but stopped with her paw in mid-air as soft, warm fur rubbed against her. Taken by surprise she jumped back, eyes flashing at the golden-furred tom in front of her. He was smiling sheepishly and she rolled her eyes, retuning the welcome by rubbing herself against him. A thought edged its way into her head as she realised his fur was wet and speckled with raindrops.

"You waited for me?" She asked, remembering how Swiftcloud had waited for Foxfoot before. The tom before her nodded, shrugging slightly.

"Well, I had nothing better to do…" Crashpaw looked at his paws then back up at her, eyes glowing in the dark, a bright emerald green. He sat down, tail curling lazily over his paws and he glanced up at the sky, raindrops streaming down his whiskers. Duskpaw sat beside him, fur almost brushing and followed his gaze.

"The clouds always look awesome when it rains. It makes me glad I live in StormClan. Any other place would be too… weird." The tom murmured, a slight smile appearing on his face. He shuffled his paws, digging holes in the soft mud. "Do you like it here?"

Crashpaw gazed at her, eyes wide with a sudden curiosity. Duskpaw was struck by the question for a heartbeat, looking to the clouds as if they held the answer.

"Yeah. I guess I do. It's better than being a loner by far anyway and I feel like I belong here, like I was always meant to belong here. It's almost like I've wandered this clearing before… As a Clan cat." She shrugged, eyes darkening momentarily as she thought about it. Crashpaw was staring at her, a thoughtful expression in his jade eyes. He looked away, sweeping his eyes over the clearing.

"I know how you feel…" His words were quiet, hardly audible over the lashing rain and wind. "Only I feel like I don't belong here."

Duskpaw followed his gaze, letting her eyes fall on the medicine den, opposite to where they were sitting. She frowned as a small, white tom appeared, twitching his whiskers and sprinting to another den. Beside her, Crashpaw let out a long sigh.

"Frostpaw's been different lately. He acts like I'm just another pesky Warrior who he has to treat." The golden apprentice's voice dropped lower, until it was almost one with the wind itself, "Like I'm not even his family."

Duskpaw shook her head, glaring at him half-heartedly, "You _are_ his family. He's lucky to have a brother like you and you're lucky to have him." She nudged his shoulder and he straightened up, a familiar smile spreading over his face.

"You're right, Duskpaw. Thanks," Crashpaw mewed, standing up to shake his fur out. Rolling her eyes, Duskpaw bit back a complaint, only retuning the gesture and soaking him. They both grinned, green eyes meeting blue and purple. With a yawn, Crashpaw padded over to the Apprentice den, calling her after him before disappearing into the fern leaves. Dodging the rain as best she could, the black she-cat followed.

Inside it was darker than usual. Ripplepaw's pale cream pelt stood out against the black and the scents of Blackpaw, Redpaw mingled amongst the smell of rain. Duskpaw picked her way around the other apprentices, nimbly jumping over Ripplepaw's slumbering form. She took her place next to Crashpaw in her nest, cringing as the rain outside fell faster and harder against the ferns that protected them. There was a flash, one that lit up the den for less than a heartbeat before returning to darkness. Immediately there was a rhythmic thumping beside her. Duskpaw glanced over, heart beating faster all of a sudden. Outlined against the black, she could see Crashpaw, eyes fixed on the den entrance, tail slamming against the earth. Outside thunder boomed, causing Duskpaw to gasp and sink lower to her nest.

"The storms close, getting closer." Crashpaw's voice broke into the shadows and Duskpaw shot him a confused look, "I was counting with my tail how many thumps before the thunder came. The less it is, the closer the storm is."

Duskpaw nodded slowly, eyes glittering in awe at the technique. Then Crashpaw ducked his head, resting it on his paws and she looked away. The sound of his breathing slowed, until she was sure he was asleep. Only the rain beating against the den and the soft, almost soundless breaths of the other apprentices disturbed her thoughts.

_Smoke where are you now? _She called out in her mind, knowing full well, it was pointless. _In this weath- No. Matches will look after him. He doesn't break a promise._

A sigh escaped her, leaving her with the mess of thoughts jumbling themselves in her head. Twitching her fine, white whiskers she laid down, unable to concentrate on a single thought by itself. It seemed like a moon before sleep drifted over her, sending her into a dark, dreamless sleep.

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><p><strong>Mysterious~ xD Next chapter should be up soon I hope, I'm writing it already. It's the start of the action... And the main story part I guess. Please review if you have time, it makes me write faster and more action packed. Still looking for Warriors for any of the Clans!<strong>

**Here's descriptions on each Clan...**

**StormClan - Strong, Trustworthy, Brave and Proud.**

**A Clan of strong, swift Warriors. They live in open forest with plenty of undergrowth, especially ferns and oak trees. They are close to the mountains where storms happen frequently. They fight strongest in the rain with no problem and have learnt to disguise there scent in the water. Weather doesn't faze them.**

**MoonClan - Silent, Sneaky, Loyal and Curious.**

**Sneaky cats who are at home in dark waters and shadowy forests. They are perfect at the element of surprise and can appear and disappear out of no where. They live in a dark pine forest much like ShadowClan's, although a thick murky river snakes through the forest. Effective hunters at night and trained to fight at night, their darker pelts blend in.**

**MistClan - Swift, Gentle, Mysterious and Cautious.**

**Fast and agile, they appear to camouflage with the mist with great ease. They live in open land with sparse pine trees dotted around and thick mist covering everything. Their senses are better than any other Clans, although they rely more on their scent and hearing than sight. They have smaller, lighter builds and grey or white pelts usually. **

**IceClan - Brave, Bold, Spirited and Hard-working.**

**A Clan adapted to harsh environments making them stronger and sturdier. They are agile swimmers. They live in snow and ice, high in the mountains where there light pelts blend easily. Mainly eat fish from where they break the ice in the frozen lake but they also hunt moose and deer. Tend to have long legs for travelling through snow, bulkier builds and good eyesight. **

**Would help to make cats for MoonClan, MistClan and IceClan?**

**Cherrio for now, Duskeh~**


	7. Chapter 6: Once upon a time

**Me: Two chapters in one day? _Two? _-Celebrates- **

**Duskpaw: That wouldn't be hard to beat...**

**Me: What was that?**

**Duskpaw: Oh... Nothing~**

**Me: Yeah. You're right. It was nothing. -Narrows eyes-**

**Duskpaw: Although, I could do WAY better than you at getting chapters up...**

**Me: No. No, you couldn't. Who has the opposable thumbs here?**

**Duskpaw: -Rolls eyes- You. **

**Me: That's right~ Now anyway, on with the story~**

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><p>The first light of dawn stretched over the horizon, twisting its long pink fingers through the early morning sky. Heavy black clouds were slowly drifting away, taking the rain with them. A chill still hung in the air, creeping its way into Stormstar's fur. He had been up for a while now, his mind drowning in thoughts. As the sun peaked over the tree tops, he stood up, stretching as he did and groaning at the stiffness in his limbs. Sitting still for too long was not something he did often. Most of the Clan was still asleep, although Hailpelt's grey pelt was visible by the camp entrance, as she waited for day to come so she could finish her guard. A rustle indicated that one of the Warriors was up and without turning his head, Stormstar knew it was Ravenblaze by scent. The sleek black tom was heading to the fresh-kill pile, mumbling something about she-cats always complaining about their fur. Stormstar grinned slightly, presuming Swiftcloud had been grumpy this morning. The StormClan leader turned his head back to the sunrise, blue eyes thoughtful once again. Lately MoonClan had been crossing the border, and whether by accident of not, he had decided to double border patrol, hoping the other Clans got the hint. If they didn't he would have to say something about it at the next gathering, which happened to be in a couple of sunrises. Stormstar unconsciously narrowed his eyes, remembering back to the journey to find the very territory he roamed. Now that he thought about it, the battle was still clear in his head. He could remember his old leader falling, struck by a blow from a brown tabby she-cat. He remembered how the she-cats eyes had glowed with triumph, immediately replaced with pain as another cat jumped her. His mate had been that cat. If only he ha-<p>

"Morning, Stormstar." A mew from behind him brought him out of his thoughts and he turned to face a pretty white she-cat. Her golden eyes shone sleepily, lit by the sun that was gradually making its way into the sky.

"Morning Lightheart, glad to see you're up," He mewed back to the she-cat - his deputy -, catching a glimpse of golden fur from the corner of his eye and taking note that Crashpaw was up. "I'd like you to take a border patrol to MoonClan's border. Take whoevers up."

The deputy nodded, white fur rippling as she stood up and padded down the hill. Stormstar called down to Crashpaw who was debating about what to eat. Not that there was much choice at this time in the morning. The apprentice's head snapped up, eyes filled with curiosity at the leaders call. With a graceful bound, Stormstar leapt down the hill, landing beside the tom. Crashpaw dipped his head slightly.

"I'd like you to wake Duskpaw and ask her to meet with me in my den. There is something she must know." Stormstar meowed, waiting until Crashpaw looked up again, "And there's a vole at the back," He signalled to the fresh-kill pile with his tail, watching Crashpaw's expression change to surprise and then curiosity again.

"How did-"

"I just know, leaders intuition you could say?" With a flick of his tail, the older tom turned away, shooting Crashpaw a wink over his shoulder and in return getting a wide grin. He bounded back up the hill, disappearing back into his den. He planned out what he would say… and what he wouldn't. The new apprentice needed to know about the Clans history, how the new Clans were made. The sound of soft paw-steps distracted him and the wind carried the scent of Duskpaw to him.

"Stormstar?" The young she-cats voice drifted into his den and he flicked his ears, gazing over.

"Come in Duskpaw," He rumbled back, getting into a more comfortable position. The apprentice padded in, eyes immediately glowing in surprise. She scanned the den, looking to the roof in a mild curiosity.

"Lighter than you expected? The light comes from up there," Stormstar used his tail to point to a well hidden hole in the rock where thin streams of light shone through, "Only problem is, rain comes through as well, so when the storms come I have to cover it with fern leaves. This obviously makes it a lot darker."

The she-cat nodded, taking it all in, her eyes searching the rest of the den quickly, narrowing as she glanced at the floor.

"If you directed the rain water to that dip in the ground, you could create a pool. I don't think it would flood too easily either as the den slopes down over there," Duskpaw mused, flicking a silky black ear towards a slight dip in the den. Stormstar followed the gesture, noticing she was right and looking back in surprise.

"I've never thought of that… It might just work." The leader gave her a nod of approval, before remembering why she was here in the first place. "Anyway, that's not why I bought you here. Ravenblaze suggested I tell you how the Clans came to be, seeing as you will need to know soon enough."

The smaller cat nodded, sliding her tail over her paws, the white band near the tip glowing from the weak sunlight. Stormstar closed his eyes for a moment, wondering where to start. There was so much he could say but he had to keep his feelings out of it. He always had before.

"Not too many moons ago, there were four Clans much like StormClan, MistClan, IceClan and MoonClan. They were named ThunderClan, ShadowClan, WindClan and RiverClan. They lived in peace, each respecting the borders that separated their territory and living their own lives. That was until cats from each Clan caught a disease that had never been seen before. No medicine cat could heal them no matter how hard they tried. This disease made them stronger, faster but took away their sanity bit by bit. Many of the effected cats fled, scared they would hurt there Clan." He paused, remembering his best friend who had left him, alone in the forest after almost killing an apprentice. The guilt which had shimmered in his eyes stuck with Stormstar until even now.

"Eventually we heard news of these cats. They had gathered together, creating something which was vaguely like their own Clan. They were known as the Scattered." For a moment the leader stopped, watching the she-cat before him. Her eyes were thoughtful almost as if she was imagining it all. She blinked, turning her attention back to Stormstar and flicking her tail to tell him she was listening. He gathered his thoughts, continuing on with the story.

"These cats had either lost or almost lost all of their sanity along with their memories and some emotions. The disease killed many of the cats, leaving the rest in fear of what would happen to them. Then the self-proclaimed leader of the Scattered came to a decision. The medicine cats of the Clans hadn't tried hard enough…" His voice grew quieter, memories playing before his stormy blue eyes. A ripple of pelts as they poured into the clearing, claws glinting dangerously in the half-light, teeth bared in vicious snarls. The blood as it splattered the grass. Stormstar shivered, blinking away the images. Duskpaw was watching him eyes wide and expectant, kneading the ground with her paws. The smoky leader narrowed his eyes as the next words flowed from his mouth.

"So they sought revenge on the Clans. It was the full moon, the gathering. Everyone had been nervous lately, wondering when the Scattered would come. That was the night that many fell. The Scattered were more powerful than us and had no sense of dignity, using dirty moves to take us down. The leaders from each Clan died, no matter how many lives they had. The Clans were left broken although we brought the Scattered with us in one last attempt to survive. Any that survived were gone with the night. Some Clan cats were left, wounded and grieving for the ones that were lost." The tom sighed, ruffling his pelt more than usual. It still pained him to think about that night. He had lost his friends, his leader. His mate.

"You lost your mate didn't you?" As if reading his thoughts, Duskpaw's voice cut through the air. Her eyes were soft, head tilted to the side as she watched him.

"Yeah… I did. She tried to save the leader but was too late and ended up getting herself killed. If I had only been fast enough. Strong enough. I could have saved her!" Stormstar didn't realise his voice was raised until Duskpaw ducked her head, ears drooping slightly in regret at asking him.

"I'm sorry…"

"It's alright, I'm sorry for raising my voice. I've just never forgave myself for letting her die so meaninglessly."

"But it wasn't meaningless! She fought like any other cat that day from what I can hear, she tried her best. Even if she died she succeeded. I mean, there still four Clans right? Even if there different Clans, they live on. And by what I can see… It was worth every wound there was."

Stormstar stared at her for a heartbeat. Her eyes glimmered with a silent wisdom, her words soothing his regret slightly. Only slightly but it helped. With a grateful flick of his tail, he remembered what he was going to say.

"Four of us who survived decided the Clans must go on or it was all for nothing. We travelled once the cats were healed enough. It was a long journey. Cats that were in the same Clan before split up, making new friendships with other cats. When we finally found suitable territory, the Clans had changed. They even seemed happier to be able to have different friendships. And it's been that way ever since." He finished the story with a grin, letting out a breath he seemed to be holding without noticing. Duskpaw smiled back, tail flicking out behind her from around her paws.

"I never thought the Clans had been through so much… It's awesome!" The apprentice purred whiskers twitching as she did. Stormstar nodded, getting to his paws and brushing a limp piece of moss from his pelt.

"I guess so. Anyway, Ravenblaze will be happy I told you. In fact he's probably waiting for you to get out so you can go hunting. Or battle training." The young black she-cat jumped up, eyes brimming with excitement. Stormstar led the way outside, resting on the rocky outcrop that joined to his den and waiting for Duskpaw to join him. She bounded out; tail waving frantically, sweeping up dust behind her.

"You were right, Ravenblaze is waiting," Duskpaw mewed, peering over the ledge to the tom below them. He was sitting with Hailpelt, sharing a plump rabbit that had been brought in that sunrise.

"You better get going, although he doesn't seem like the type, Ravenblaze can get impatient quickly." The leader winked, watching the apprentice leap down the hill and sprint to her mentor. They greeted each other with a smile, setting out of the camp, their single white paws in perfect sync. Giving his Clan a final look over, he swept around, dashing down the hill and landing gracefully. Hailpelt looked up from where she was sitting, eye smiling as usual. He was about to return the gesture when a cry from the nursery made him look up.

"My kits! My kits are gone!" Sorrelflight, a tawny brown queen rushed out, blue eyes clouded in worry. She looked around desperately, tail lashing in a frantic circle. Stormstar ran over along with Hailpelt.

"Sorrelflight, what do you mean there gone?" He mewed, keeping his voice calm, while Hailpelt smoothed the distraught queen's fur with her tail. The tawny she-cat just shook her head, breaths coming fast in worry.

"I woke up this morning and they weren't there. Their nests were stale like they hadn't been there for a while. I asked Stonestep to look around for them but he couldn't even find any traces of any of them! Who knows what could have happened!"

Stormstar narrowed his eyes, thinking fast. Swiftly bounding up to Rockledge he called the cats that were still in camp to gather. Immediately pelts appeared, swarming below him and settling.

"Sorrelflight's kits, Swallowkit, Hopekit and Rushkit are missing. I'd like you all to search for them. Stonestep take some cats and search throughout the territory. If you find them, take them back here immediately." The cats below him got up, gathering around Stonestep. In a flash they were gone, racing out of the camp in a flurry of colours. Sorrelflight was sitting by the nursery, Hailpelt's tail resting on her shoulder.

_I hope they're ok…_ The leader thought, scenting the air, eyes searching from the hill. Only the scents of the forest met him and he reluctantly sighed. Jumping down the hill, he headed for the camp entrance, scenting all the while for the lost kits.

* * *

><p><strong>So I kinda enjoyed writing from Stormstar's point of view. It was... different? And cool. I feel like this chapter was rushed, I apologize, writers block, y'know? So the kits are missing! ~Le gasp~ What will happen next? What will happen indeed... -Mysteriously disappears into the mist on MistClan's territory-<strong>


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